by Lisa Kessler
“I’d love to,” I started, “but what about…you know. The whole your-family-hates-jaguars-and-will-be-able-to-smell-me thing?”
“I’ll figure it out,” he growled sending shivers down my spine. His voice was like a dangerous promise. Part of me tried to reach for rational thought. I couldn’t get in too deep with Adam. He’d already explained about his Pack. They’d kill first and ask questions later. But he had done everything he could to keep me safe…
I stared into his eyes, my skin still hot and hungry for more time alone with him, even if it didn’t make sense. “I’d like that,” I whispered before I realized I was going to speak.
His lips curled into a sensual smile. “Me too. Stay inside. I’ll call you later today.”
He reached out to touch my cheek, his fingertips sliding along my skin as he tipped my chin up toward his mouth. This time my lips were already parted, anxious for his affection. When he drew back, my heart pounded.
“I’ll see you soon, Lana.”
He slipped out the door, and I engaged the deadbolt. When I stepped back, I shook my head. I was in so much trouble.
And it felt amazing.
Chapter Twelve
Adam
I jumped into the driver’s seat and fired up Chaney’s engine. I hadn’t gotten much sleep, but I didn’t give a shit. I felt better than I had in who knew how long. Just thinking about the way Lana’s body felt pressed against me when we kissed made me shift in my seat.
Maybe my instincts weren’t as far off as I worried they might be.
She was still a jaguar, but everything about her spoke to me. The way her large, almond eyes stared up at me with her full lips parted enough for me to catch the spicy scent of her mouth, and how her black hair felt like strands of silk sliding through my fingers made it impossible for me to think clearly. She was curvy and soft, and I wanted to explore every inch of her body and know every part of her soul.
I howled up into the hot wind as I raced toward the ranch. Had I ever felt more alive?
When I pulled into the barn, Luke was busy filling up water buckets. “Out with one of your ladies again?” He shot me a glare. “Nice of you to show up.”
Luke had turned twenty last month and still had a tough time hiding his wolf abilities and his temper. Until he could control them and pass himself off as a normal man, he needed to stay close to the Pack. My ranch was the natural choice, but it wasn’t always where Luke wanted to be.
“Sorry, Luke. I was tracking the jaguar who got Gabe.”
“All night?” He shook his head as he kinked the hose and jammed it into the next water bucket. “Yeah, right. You could’ve called.”
I knew I had a well-deserved reputation for being a player, but Luke’s sour attitude was uncalled for. “Look, believe whatever you want, Luke, but keep it to yourself, okay? I don’t want to hear it.”
“No shock there. I’m just supposed to believe whatever bullshit you’re shoveling.” He grumbled under his breath. “I’m not a kid anymore.”
“You sure as hell are acting like one.” I walked over and snagged the hose from him. “I pay you to be here so I can take care of other things when I need to, like jaguars who attack our Pack. Can the attitude.”
His brow furrowed, and he clenched his jaw. Then without a word he stormed off to the tack room. I watched him go while I topped off the last water bucket. He’d be all right. Once Luke cooled off, I figured I could find out what was really going on with him. Luke was like an onion in a lot of ways. You had to go through a lot of layers to find out what was really inside.
As I turned off the water, a horse trailer pulled down the drive. The barn broke into chaos with some of the horses pacing in their stalls, while others neighed and pawed at their doors, flipping their heads in anticipation of the visitor. I walked down the barn aisle and greeted the owners with a handshake. After they got Sabrina settled into a stall, I gave them the boarding contract to fill out and sign. The mare was a well-muscled blood bay with dark dappled color on her hindquarters. She was a west coast western pleasure champion, and her owners were hoping that crossing her with Bruce would give them a black colt or filly.
I figured a healthy foal would be good enough.
With paperwork in hand, I watched the empty trailer pull out and walked over to Bruce’s stall. I gave his neck a good scratch, chuckling as the stallion’s upper lip stretched out and quivered. I shook my head. “What a life. Did you see the way that mare was flirting with you? You’re a lucky horse, Bruce.”
Luke finally resurfaced as I saddled up the three-year-old filly at the end of the barn.
“Sorry, Adam.”
“It’s okay,” I said, meaning it. “We’re all a little tense after what happened to Gabe.”
“That’s probably it.” He shrugged. “I’m glad you didn’t find that guy who did it.”
“What?” I stopped walking, my brow furrowed. “Why?”
“Gabe was by himself, and now Gabe’s dead. I didn’t want that to happen to you too.”
I closed my eyes for a second as the puzzle pieces came together in my mind, then I looked over at Luke. “So when I wasn’t here this morning you thought…” He thought I was dead. I felt like a big asshole. “I’m sorry, Luke. I should’ve called you.”
He shrugged it off. “No big deal. But you shouldn’t go looking for this guy alone.”
“Now that the new moon is over he won’t be so dangerous.” I saw the frustration in Luke’s eyes and put my hands up a little. “I won’t go look for him alone, okay?”
“Good.” Luke smiled. I felt bad for lying to him, but at least it brought him some peace of mind.
On to the barn full of horses that needed to be worked. Time to focus. Luke already had Bubbles all saddled up, so I led her out to the ring. Like Bruce, she had a registered name, Seaswept Ladyhawke, but she also blew bubbles in her water bucket so her nickname stuck. In the center of the ring I tightened the cinch a little more and flipped the reins up over her head. She’d only been ridden a few times, but she was a good-hearted mare. I was still careful with her, but so far she’d been pretty eager to learn.
With my left boot in the stirrup, I stroked her neck. “Ready, Bub?”
She seemed steady, so I grabbed the front and back of the saddle and pulled myself up, swinging my right leg over to the other side. I slid my foot into the stirrup and adjusted the reins. With a little click of my tongue, Bubbles stepped forward and we worked as a team practicing turns and moving her through her gaits.
I smiled, stroking her mane as we loped along the rail of the ring. Riding horses brought me peace like nothing else. Having an animal nature myself, we shared an unspoken communication. The horses trusted me and usually tried everything I asked of them. Rarely did any of them give me any trouble.
Not like Lana. I smirked. She definitely excelled at trouble. It seemed to follow her around like a puppy.
I rode Bubbles back to the barn and slid down from the saddle. Luke grabbed the reins and walked her back toward the crossties to pull the saddle off and cool her out. Once I found a chair in a shady spot, I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Lana’s number.
No answer. Frowning, I left a voicemail. She was probably just in the shower, I told myself. But rationalizations or not, my animal instincts were on alert. I needed to hear her voice and know she was safe. But before I could race over to her hotel to check on her, Aren pulled up.
And he didn’t look happy.
Chapter Thirteen
Lana
My PI contact in Dallas had assured me he’d call a few people he knew in San Antonio and hook me up with someone who had a Children and Family Services background. Waiting for my phone to ring, though, knowing Gabe’s killer was out there looking for me, made me tense and claustrophobic. Especially since I knew he was the only one who really could give me the answers I needed.
If he really could track my scent, he’d find my new hotel eventually. If he found me there, alone in
my room, even with pepper spray, I would be vulnerable. If I lured him out, instead, I’d have the home field advantage. I’d see him coming. No surprises. It seemed like a no brainer.
I wandered around the casino for most of the morning, staying in very public places where kids ran by every few seconds begging their moms and dads for “just five more dollars.”
He finally entered by the slot machines. His dark eyes caught mine, his jaw set. I made a beeline to the restaurant and sat at a table near the buffet. He couldn’t kill me in the middle of a busy restaurant, and with casino security guards hovering around the exits, he wouldn’t be able to carry me out without my consent. And I wasn’t consenting to anything but talking.
Besides, he hadn’t really tried to hurt me. Not yet anyway.
We both watched my cell phone ring and then stop. “If I don’t call him back, he’ll come looking for me.” I reached for my cell phone in my purse, but creepy cat man stretched across the table in the restaurant and caught my wrist before I could grab it.
He flashed me a slick smile. “Your wolf is no match for me, Little One.”
“My name is Lana, so you can drop the gross pet name.”
He released my wrist. “I don’t have time for name games. Your scent is all over this casino. You brought me here. I know this was not an accident.”
“I want information.”
“I will take you back to the Organization, and they can give you all the information you require.”
“Why don’t you start by telling me who the Organization is?”
“So now we play twenty questions? I don’t think so.” He grabbed my upper arm, hard, and started to tug me out of the booth. Using my free hand, I smacked him hard across the face. It felt like everyone in the buffet dining room froze and turned to look at us.
“Let go of me, or I start screaming,” I whispered.
He nodded and let go of my arm.
“I’m okay,” I said to the gawkers. “Sorry about that.”
Creepy cat man didn’t look as okay. My handprint rose up in red across his face. His eyes narrowed. I may have taken this meeting further than I should have. My plan hadn’t been to get physical. I only wanted to ask him some questions. I clung to my theory that he couldn’t murder me in front of witnesses.
Now I just needed to get him to talk. “Look, I’m not going anywhere with you, but I am willing to talk.” I let my back rest against the booth, hoping I looked more confident and relaxed than I felt. My thumb toyed with the bump of the pepper spray canister in the pocket of my jeans. “Why don’t we swap information?”
“Because I don’t need information from you.”
“Then what exactly do you need me for?”
He wet his lips with a menacing glare. “In case Cyrus and his team failed in their mission, I was sent to find you and bring you back. Nothing more.”
“Why would anyone want to kidnap me?”
“Not kidnap.” The corner of his mouth quirked up into a crooked smile. “Retrieve.”
“You can’t retrieve something that was never yours to begin with.”
He seemed to ponder that for a moment. “You puzzle me. You do not know the Organization?”
“No. The Nero Organization is nowhere to be found.”
This made him grin. “Ahh, so you do know something.”
I hadn’t wanted to be right about Nero, but I was. I tried not to let him see the red warning lights going off in my head and rolled my eyes. “Why are they so secretive?”
“We are elite, not secretive.” He crossed his arms. “You should be honored they are welcoming you back.”
“You don’t get it. I’ve never been there. I don’t know who they are, and I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He frowned slightly. “You are lying.”
“No I’m not.” I leaned in closer to him, lowering my voice. “I only lured you here to find out why you were stalking me. If I was from your Organization, wouldn’t I already know?”
“Perhaps.”
“Are there other…people like us in the Nero Organization?”
He nodded, but seemed like he was miles away.
I sighed. “Can you at least tell me your name?”
He stood up from the table and stared down at me. “You can call me Sebastian.”
“You’re leaving?” I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. Why was my stalker running away from me? Not that I was complaining, but nothing was making sense.
“Yes, we are finished for now.” He met my eyes with a chilling stare. “Stay away from the wolves, Lana. They are killers.”
“No different from you.”
He raised a brow. “I was after you. The wolf was in my way.”
“Then why did you dump him at the lake?” Then it dawned on me. “You knew I wasn’t alone.”
He raised a brow. “It would be difficult not to notice a filthy wolf scent while I tracked yours.”
Did he see Adam or just smell him? “You wanted me to be blamed for that.”
“I wanted you away from the wolf.”
“He knew I didn’t kill Gabe.”
“His pack does not.”
With that, Sebastian was gone.
I was surprised how quickly he disappeared into the crowd. I pulled out my cell phone and called Adam back, but it rang and went to voicemail. Strange. He’d just called me a few minutes ago. I left a message, polished off my iced tea, and headed back up to my room.
I was new to recognizing scents, but I was pretty sure I covered my tracks with a couple puffs of pepper spray in the hall as I came out of my room earlier. Surely that reeked much more than I did. At least I hoped so. I wanted my stalker to find me in the restaurant, but I didn’t want him to know where I was hiding out. I was fairly certain he didn’t want to kill me, but he obviously worked with someone who had an agenda. Either way, I didn’t want him to know where I slept.
I went outside, and the doorman flagged down a cab for me. I wasn’t sure if Sebastian was still nearby. His scent wasn’t lingering in the area, but trusting these animal instincts didn’t come naturally to me, so just in case, I climbed in a cab and told him I’d like to drive down Virginia Street and take a picture of the big Reno arch.
We made the loop, and I was back at the hotel. Glancing around, I didn’t see or smell any sign of Sebastian, so I slipped back through the glass doors and up to my room.
Chapter Fourteen
Adam
“Luke called me. He was worried when you weren’t here this morning.” Aren locked his car and turned to face me.
“Yeah, I know.” I hooked my thumb in the pocket of my jeans. “I got caught up in what I was doing. I should’ve called.”
“What were you doing out all night?”
I ground my teeth as I glared at Aren. He was really starting to piss me off for grilling me like I was a guilty little kid. But all I saw was the memory of Gareth’s eyes—the eyes of the remaining twin. My anger fizzled.
“I was looking for Gabe’s killer. I told you that. I found his trail, and I know his scent now, but it was too old for me to track him very far.”
“I’ll go with you next time.”
“I’m capable of handling myself.”
“Dammit, Adam, I won’t lose you, too!” Aren shook his head and sighed. It wasn’t like him to have an emotional outburst. He was the levelheaded one of us. “This isn’t an inexperienced jaguar who wandered into our territory. This is someone who knew who we were, attacked one of our Pack, and then was ballsy enough to dump him right at our feet. This is a trained killer, Adam.”
“And we’re taught from birth how to hunt.”
“But we don’t do it for sport or to send a message. This guy did. He may already know you’re the Pack leader’s eldest son. If so, you might as well have a big target painted on your chest.”
I nodded. I couldn’t tell Aren that the jaguar wasn’t after us. He was after Lana. I didn’t know why yet, but the “message�
� was definitely meant for her.
“I know. I’ll stay in tonight. Okay?”
Aren nodded and seemed to relax a little. “We’re all wound a little tight over this. Losing Gabe was a blow to all of us.” He started back toward his car but stopped to look back over his shoulder. “Dad’s probably coming by soon.”
“Malcolm?” My brow furrowed. “Oh God, Luke didn’t call him too, did he?”
Aren shrugged with a little grin. “You should’ve called someone to tell them where you were.”
I worked one more horse before my father pulled up in his sleek black Chrysler 300C. Being the Alpha of our Pack made our family relationship complicated. We never had the father-son relationship I’d seen the other Pack members enjoy with their dads. It wasn’t that my father was stern or abusive, but he was more than just my father. He was my leader, and I was his heir. It was difficult for me to see him as my “Dad” rather than Malcolm, our Alpha. It felt too casual to me.
Malcolm got out of his car and straightened up to his full six-foot-three-inch height. Even in jeans and a polo, he turned heads and commanded attention, but attention was the last thing he wanted since my mother died.
I walked over to greet him and shared a firm embrace. Malcolm drew back. “I’m glad you’re all right. Last night was tough. Everyone was worried when you never came back.”
“Aren told me. I’m sorry.” I broke eye contact. The scrutiny of his gaze was too heavy for me. “I should’ve called.”
“That’s not what I wanted to discuss.”
“No?” Puzzled, I glanced back over at him.
“Not really. Can we go inside and speak privately?”
“Yeah, sure. Luke can finish up here.”
I let Luke know what still needed to be done, and then we headed up to the house. Once we were inside, Malcolm sat at the head of the kitchen table. I brought him a glass of water and took a seat.
“So, what’s up?”
“With Gabe’s passing, the elders and I were forced to look at the future of our Pack, and we’re concerned.”